You're The Only OneThat I Can Trust
by xoxbreyoxo
Summary: After Klaus gives Hope to Rebekah, the blonde takes her niece into hiding. Unable to shake a threat, Rebekah turns to the one person she knows she can trust to protect the baby. The one person Klaus would trust if he let himself. The gorgeous cover was created by bookfreak25 and I adooore it! Thank you so much!
1. The Only One That I Can Trust

**Author's Note: **I have no idea if anyone would be interested in reading this, I suppose I will just have to write it and figure it out. But I had a thought floating around in my brain during Philosophy class this week and before I knew it I had most of this written instead of my notes (whoops haha). So please, comment and let me know what you think! Positive or negative, I want to know what readers want to read :D That being said, this is just a prologue until I see if it's worth continuing.

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. But I own the plot lines :)

* * *

The original doesn't know how they've been tracked, who knew their true identities. But panic has set in. The baby is quiet now, so tiny and defenseless. They need to move. But Rebekah isn't sure if she should be the one to care for Hope now that they've been found. Her identity is known to relatively few considering her years on this planet, but she is known enough. People know her, and they know Nik. And Hope may be presumed dead, but it wouldn't be much of a leap to assume that the baby with the blonde sister is truly the magic miracle baby from New Orleans.

The tracker hasn't shown their face yet, but Rebekah has felt them being watched all through Europe and she hasn't been able to shake the would be assailant so she is departing a plane across the Atlantic now. It may be best for Hope to be under someone else's protection, she knows. But it breaks her heart, the thought of leaving the baby she's been caring for. She doesn't even want to think how her brother will react when it makes it's way back to him that she's passed the infant along. There are so few people that would take on the responsibility of an infant, let alone an infant _hybrid. _And the number of people who would do so for the Original family, for Klaus, is nearly non existent. There is only one person to call and Rebekah grits her teeth at the thought.

She scrolls through her phone contacts and scowls when she finds the number. She doesn't even know what is going on that bloody town but it can't be worse than New Orleans, she tells herself. So she hits call and waits for the line to connect. Before the respondent has a chance to speak, Rebekah's clipped voice rings out.

"Caroline. Where are you _right now_? We need to meet. At the mansion in four hours. I need your help."

Without waiting for a reply she ends the call and shifts the sleeping infant in her arms as she heads to baggage claim.

The baby vampire is pacing in what used to be the library of the Mikaelson mansion, anxiously waiting for the Original sister to arrive and explain what the hell was going on. A car pulled into the driveway and slowed as it neared the house. Caroline tucks a blonde curl behind her ear as she strains to pick up clues from outside.

The front door of the car opens and a heeled boot steps onto the gravel, taking a step back before closing the door. A few steps and another door opens. It sounds to the young girl as though someone is unbuckling a seat belt or some other restraint. The door closes and the tell tale _whoosh_ of a speeding vampire is heard and then silence as the front door to the residence opens.

Rebekah can hear Caroline's heart pounding from entryway. She regrets now that she didn't give the girl any information. But she's here now. She sets the car seat down, taking a moment to rock the sleeping baby before walking down the hall toward the pacing teen. Caroline turns as she hears the other blonde enter the room, takes in her appearance. The older woman looks as immaculately put together as ever, but there is a frantic tiredness in her eyes and her body was wound so tightly Caroline thought she might bold or attack at any moment. That's when she hears the second heartbeat in the house, quick and faint, coming from the hall and shot a questioning look at Rebekah. A small sigh escapes the girl's glossy lips before she addresses the girl she's not sure she wants to trust.

"Hello, Caroline. I need your help. Not just me — there's been a situation. And I…I need to explain a _lot_ to you and I need for you to reign yourself in until I get it all out, alright?" She states it as a question but her tone leaves no room for discussion. "I know that I have no right to ask anything of you, but you are on the short list of people that I—we, my _family_—can trust."

There is a cautious yet expectant look on Caroline's face as she nots for assent. She crosses her arms delicately and waits for the other woman to continue. The curiosity is swirling in her mind while her stomach is churning anxiously as this clearly has something to do with Klaus. The same Klaus she hasn't seen since the day Katherine died. The same Klaus she has been forcing herself to not think about because now that she has opened herself up to him and her feelings to him, she is certain that he was right at that dance so long ago. She knows now that she will seek him out, and the thought terrifies her as much as it excites her. So whatever it is that Rebekah and the Original family needs of her throws a wrench into her avoidance plans.

"I don't even know where to bloody begin with this mess. Last year, before leaving Mystic Falls, Nik had a dalliance, an indiscretion that came back to bite him. His partner…magic and nature too the rights and the girl's werewolf nature," Caroline's brow creased heavily at the mention of the only female werewolf she knew to be in the area at the time, "called out to Nik's werewolf side—the side he was _born_ with. You know enough about magic and its ties to nature to understand the loopholes ingrained into curses and spells."

"Like when Elena's doppelgänger blood was needed to make his hybrids," Caroline responds absently, to show she was following the train of though and feeling sick at the realization she was coming to. The loophole—a baby. "And werewolves can have…children. I'm assuming that's what you mean."

Rebekah eyes the girl cautiously before continuing, knowing that that this information is a lot to take in, even without the emotional turmoil between the young vampire and the ancient hybrid. "Exactly. And, understanding the importance of family to Nik, you can imagine how this has been received, responded to. Before he even knew of the child, witches found her, tied the mother to their coven to use them to bend Klaus to their will. They wanted him to drive a vampire out of power, one who had taken over the areas in and around New Orleans and denied witches the right and ability to practice. This is one side of the argument. He, Marcel, was doing it because New Orleans witches aren't like Bonnie and my mother, like the witches you know. They practice by drawing power _directly_ from their ancestors—through sacrifice, not nature. The witches called upon Nik without considering his tendencies or attitude, the inability to control him, and without knowing the relationship my family had with the vampire in question. Nik himself raised and eventually turned Marcel and the bad bloom between the two has turned New Orleans upside down for the past months. Non of the details matter in the immediate—I can fill you in later. But, in all of this there is an innocent. The part you need to know is that the witches tried to kill the _child._ And the world needs to believe hers was one of the lives lost and being mourned in New Orleans right now. Nik trusted me to raise and care for her, he knows how badly I want a family of my own. But someone has been tracking us, Hope and myself. Too many people know the Original family for me or any of us to keep her hidden."

"But no one knows me."


	2. If I Do This

**Author's Note: **I was blown away by the number of follows I received for this story! I'm sorry it took so long to post this, I wanted to get it up over the weekend, but the inspiration for this one seems to only happen in my Sociology classes (super inconvenient haha) so I had to wait until I had class again to get something down that flowed more naturally. Enjoy! Comment and let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. But I own the plot lines :)

* * *

"But no one knows me." The realization hangs in the air between them for seconds that seem, to Caroline, to drag on.

"Exactly. No on knows you, no one is _looking_ for you. You can disappear, both of you. You can do what I-what _we_-can't for her. And she deserves it, to be safe and happy. We need your help, Caroline," Rebekah is close to begging the younger girl, she knows. But she is not above it, not for the sake of the baby. Hope deserves to be raised as the princess she is, but she was going to be safe if the Original sister had anything to do with it. And Caroline is the key to it all. "I can help you, some. I've spent centuries running with Nik, I've learned a thing or two. And money—I can get you all you need to get you both settled somewhere else, somewhere safe."

Her mind is racing, her fingers are itching to put pen to paper and make lists to figure out if this was even doable. What does she know about running from unknown threats? About hiding form them? She has been caught and tortured how many times now? And by people using her as bait for someone else, not even people after her. And she is supposed to leave home to run and hide with a baby? But if she doesn't, who will? Rebekah is here, turning to the baby vampire for help because she couldn't do it, couldn't keep Hope safe from those who would hurt her. She hasn't asked for this, to be born into a war, anymore than Caroline had asked to be turned as a sacrifice to Klaus. But she had people to help her, to teach her to survive, so Caroline knows she will do the same for the defenseless girl caught in the middle of it all. She turns on her heel then and strides purposefully into the hall and toward the tiny heartbeat.

The older blonde is stunned when Caroline heads toward the door. She had thought the girl would at least hear her out, that she would see the truth in the situation. She had been _so_ sure that Caroline would be the one to save them. Rebekah is descending into panic when the footsteps in the hall stop for a moment and backtrack. She whirls around with a gasp to see the teen holding the cooing infant and lets out a breath she has likely been holding since she called the girl the day before.

"I don't know that I _can_ do this. Especially not alone. But I want to help. How—what do I have to do?" The young girl bounces the bundle in her arms and focuses on keeping her breathing steady as Rebekah jumps into an explanation about safely staying under the radar—human and supernatural. She takes in everything the other woman is telling her before a single thought halts all others. "What about Klaus? He gave Hope to you—what will he do when he finds out you don't have her? He will dagger you—he-he'll kill me if he thinks I took her!"

"Nike wants nothing more than for her—for you both—to be safe. Nothing. He will get riled up, but will understand that I made a decision to keep her _safe_. There is no one, outside of our family, that my brother cares for and trusts more than you. You are everything Nik lost about himself when we died, Caroline. You are pure and good but also fiercely loyal and absolutely protective. You will do _anything_ to protect the ones you love, the ones need you. There is no one else any of us would trust with this, you must know that." Voice thick with unshed tears, Rebekah has a tight grip on the blonde's hand as she implores her to hear the truth in the words, "I will contact Nik, explain, and he will likely seek you out sooner than later, but he will not hurt you. You are the future he wants, the one he thought he lost when he learned of Hope. The fact that _you_ will be the one caring for her, for his child—two things he never thought he would have in his life, singularly let alone together—he will scour the Earth and take down anyone in his path to be with you. "

Caroline feels her cheeks flush while Rebekah explains Klaus' feelings. Deep down she knows that her fears are irrational, that Klaus would not intentionally cause her irreparable harm. But she also knows that he doesn't always think his actions through, that he is one to react and then regret. She also knows that such a temper tantrum of his could easily kill her—there isn't a magical fake-death causing dagger to use on baby vampires. Any time she crosses him she is counting on his feelings for her to outweigh his gut reaction to rip her heart out. So, by choosing to hide Hope, she was counting on Klaus' feelings for and trust in her to outweigh his fear and concern for his _child_, the child he has already entrusted to his beloved sister.

The sincerity in Rebakah's words pierces through Caroline's fear, settling in that warm place in her chest where she hides her feelings for the hybrid. She knows that he would agree with Rebekah, that he considers her fierce and dangerous. And their belief spurs Caroline to believe it as well. She can't imagine it is going to go as smoothly as the sister says, but she wants to do what she can for Hope, for Klaus, for the family who values family above all else. It feels right somehow, to hold this child in her arms. She knows it shouldn't be so welcome, to hold another woman's child, but holding Hope fills a hole in her heart that she has never acknowledged before.

At that moment, Hope reaches up to tug at the gold chain around her neck, drawing the attention of both women to their charge. The baby is stirring quietly, enamored with the blonde hair hanging in her reach. She looks like Klaus, Caroline decides, with his curls gently framing her face, and his cherry red pouty lips. But, she can see Hayley too, in her wide eyes and the tiny wrinkles between her brows. A tiny fist grasping a blonde curl has the attention of all of the girls in the room, and the blonde in question feels the tug as much in her heart as she does in her scalp. _This is a seriously screwed up situation_, she concludes. _Not even able to admit how I feel about the man, and now I'm going to raise the child he had with another woman. My life just became a Lifetime movie. _

The women spend the next several hours talking of the logistics, how one run as thoroughly as Caroline needs to. Rebekah teaches her about things she's only ever seen in movies before; burner phones and prepaid credit cards, never signing a lease longer than month to month and changing her name as often as her address. They feed Hope twice before the sun rises and Rebekah prepares to take her leave. After writing a letter trying to explain and begging for forgiveness, Caroline calls her mom, ensures that she's not at home and the girls pile into the rental car and make their way to the Forbes' house so that she can pack a bag of clothes and essentials and to transfer the car seat into Caroline's Fiesta.

"Don't forget to change cars when this one runs out of gas. It doesn't matter if you sell it or junk it, but nothing in your name from here on out. No one knows you, and that is an advantage now, but it won't always be the case. My presence in New Orleans will garner unwanted attention and then people will have to dig into our pasts to find out where we would entrust this precious little gift," Rebekah's tone perks up as she strokes the cheek of the tiny girl in question. "Don't use the same name more than once every year or so. And hopefully things will die down in before you know it and _we will find you_. Both of you. And our family will be whole."

The Original sister startles the baby vampire by throwing her arms around the other girls' neck. The hug is strangling, but Caroline is holding on just as tightly. She has never had any particular affection for Rebekah, but this is the last time she will see anyone she knows, potentially for years. Neither girl wants to let go, wants to acknowledge the severity of the situation. And, while neither will admit it, they are both terrified to find out how the hybrid will react to the turn of events. With quiet sniffles they finally pull apart and step towards their own cars, connecting eyes for a brief moment before sliding into their seats and turning the ignition keys. Two cars pull out of the Forbes' driveway, coasting down the road and out of town. They separate in the dark and the loneliness settles over Caroline like a suffocating blanket.


	3. What Were You Thinking?

**Author's Note: **I am sorry it took so long to get this posted! I was sick for the first half of the week, and playing catch up in Sociology—when I normally work on this haha. Forgive me? Hope so! Enjoy and let me know what you think

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. But I own the plot lines :)

* * *

She rings in her return to New Orleans now in a similar manner to her last—spilling as much blood as she can. She knows Nik will find her and that they will have their emotional reunion for all to see; she just hopes he will hear her out before she finds a dagger in her heart. Rebekah is not nearly as confident as the front she put on for Caroline; she doesn't know if she will survive his wrath when she appears without his child. Her fear drives her fist into the chest of the vampire approaching her, the wet _squish_ not nearly as satisfying as it should be. The fifth body drops before the door flies open.

"Enough!" Her blonde hair swirls through the air as she turns to face her brother, tears already filling her eyes. "This is a time of _mourning._ Not violence, Rebekah."

The venom in the hybrid's voice as he looses her name strikes her like a slap.

"I know, Nik. I'm so sorry," the Original sister whispers as she crosses the bar. Reaching out to her brother, Rebekah tries to will her hand to stop shaking, knowing how much they both are truly grieving for the infant in that moment. He won't even look at her, and she can feel the anger rolling off of him before he flashes out of the bar. The blonde hangs her head for a moment before following him to their former home.

* * *

The compound is dark when she arrives, but Rebekah knows her brother is there. She can hear him pacing, can feel the fury he's feeling filling the air. She steels herself before entering, drawing a shaky breath and clenching her fists and moving forward in search of the broken hearted man and the bottle of scotch she can hear him sipping from.

"Nik," she starts as she steps into the library, cautiously approaching her brother, "Nik, I need y—"

"Where the bloody hell IS SHE? Where is she, Rebekah?!" Klaus squeezes his hand around her throat, slamming the petite blonde against the floor. He drags her limp body up, and throws her across the room, a bookcase splintering when she collides with it.

"She….she's fine. Nik. She's safe," the words are barely audible; little more than a wheeze as her thousand-year-old body knits itself back together. "I promise. She's safe."

The hybrid falls to his knees, the words knocking the wind out of him. His fists clench, and he grinds his teeth, unable to form the words he needs. Unable to ask for more information. His sister rises slowly, limps across the room and sinks to the floor in front of him. Their tear filled blue eyes meet and Rebekah can see the guarded hope in his eyes, a thousand years worth of mistrust not letting him truly believe what he heard.

"She's safe, Nik, I had her at my old flat in London, but someone was watching us. We left England, but whoever it was followed us, through France and Portugal. I lost him for bit in Romania but not for long. So," her gaze is imploring now, begging him to hear her out. She knows how much he is going to hate this part, "I brought her back. To the one person I know in the _world_ that would help you, no questions asked. The only person you wouldn't kill for helping me hide your daughter…"

"No," Klaus shakes his head vigorously from side to side, unwilling to believe his sister could be so _stupid_. "Tell me you _didn't_, Bekah. Tell me you didn't drag her into this…"

"I had to, Nik. No one knows her. No one knows who she is, no one will suspect anything of a bubbly young woman moving to a new city to start a life with her new, _perfect_ baby girl. She is so blissfully normal, Nik, that's all she wants. A _normal_ life," the words come out on a tiny sob, "And she will protect Hope, with her life. You know that—she would give her life for an innocent, a child. As unsuspecting as she comes off, not even anyone who knew she was a girl you fancied would ever think you would trust a child like her with something like this. She's a baby vampire, for gods sake."

"Exactly, Rebekah. A _baby vampire_. One who plays sacrificial lamb at every bloody turn. How could you…how could you put her—them—in this kind of danger?" His mind is spinning. His girls, the two girls on the planet who he would willfully die for, were out there somewhere. They were out there alone. A baby vampire, just nineteen years old, still a child herself. Out there with his daughter, his _hybrid_ daughter. "What were you _thinking_, sister?" His voice breaks and he sinks down off his knees, landing on his rear on the carpet as the tears slowly begin to fall.

Rebekah hasn't seen her brother look so small in centuries. Not since his first change, she thinks. He was so broken, so terrified then. Even more than he was during the Hunters' curse. And he's more scared, more defeated, now, she decides, than he was even as his body broke and their mother cursed him all those lifetimes ago.

"I was thinking that, aside from Elijah, Caroline is the only person who loves you as much as I do. Who would do anything she could to help you, even while cursing you to your face," a humorless laugh escapes the crying man at that, because he can imagine what she would have to say to him at this moment, with a baby (_his baby_) on her hip. "I was thinking that you might not take her head off for helping me. And I was thinking about the day, when you get this damn city under control, that you get to search her out. The day that you get to track her down and join them."

Klaus' eyes shoot up to meet hers then, wonder flashing through them at the prospect. He lies back on the floor, stretching his long legs toward the empty fireplace. Could he really join them, his child and the woman he wants to spend his eternity beside? The idea had promise, even if it was completely dependent on them all surviving the war about to rage against him. The heaving sigh escapes him while he's in thought, the words bubbling to the surface unintentionally when his sister reclines beside him.

"I trusted you. With her, with Hope. I know how badly you want the human life. To settle down, have a family of your own. And I handed over mine, _my child_. Why would you give that up?"

The siblings are laid down on the two hundred year old carpet, head to head like they slept as human children so long ago. And, just like she did then, Rebekah twirls a finger around one of her brother's cropped curls; the movement soothing both of them immensely.

"Because, Nik. The same reason you sent her away with me in the first place. That's what I, what_ we_, had to do to keep her safe. What would it matter if I had her with me if I couldn't protect her? Too many people know us, the Originals. We've never exactly withdrawn from the public eye in the past, Nik," she scoffs delicately, "My face is known by enough people, it's dangerous for the Original sister to be running around with a supposedly dead baby. But anyone out there, outside of the Mystic Falls group, would assume the blonde you spent the last year traipsing after was me." The blondes both swallow thickly. "She can protect her. She was meant to be a mother, you know?"

"I do. She is such a force of…light. Of caring. It's not fair, how much she's lost to the darkness of the bloody town." The frown pulls his face down as he thinks about it, heaving a heavy sigh while he tries to form the question he doesn't know he wants the answer to. "Do you…Bekah, do you think she would want me to find her? To join them when it's safe?"

The silence between them strangles him, the waiting, even just a few moments, driving him slowly mad. Then he hears her lips pull into a shy smile and turns to gaze at her. The confusion in his blue eyes only serves to make his sister's smile grow.

"Yes. I think that she will absolutely want you to find them, Nik. Caroline is a young girl, a **very** young girl, who just wants to find love. But you, mister 'emotions are so terrible, blah blah, my sister loves too much, blah blah blah' are intimidating. You can't honestly expect her to run into your arms just because you open them. You have spent a thousand years being the thing from her nightmares. Give her time. Take _your_ time. You have forever, brother. Let's just focus on making the world safe for them right now." She leans her forehead gently against his temple, hoping her answer was sufficient, enough to get him through the coming days.

"When did you become so wise, little sister? So reasonable?" He chuckles lightly, before pursing his lips and falling into the 'big bad' persona that has brought him through so many impossible situations in his long life. "Let us, as a family, protect what is ours then, Rebekah. Protect Hope."

* * *

**Author's Note 2: **So, I really haven't decided yet if Hayley will be in the story. I have to see if I can write her believably. Please, take a second to review, let me know what you think of the story so far; where you want to see it go!


	4. We Can Do This

**Author's Note: **This chapter is less story driven, it's more about Caroline trying to come to terms with everything that has happened. This is how I want to get the story out though, one chapter Klebekah/NOLA, and the next Caroline and Hope (someone name them for me?) and wherever they are. Sound good? Let me know!

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. But I own the plot lines :)

It takes about six hours for the adrenaline to die down and the loneliness to descend on Caroline. Hope is quietly babbling from her car seat and Caroline tries to focus on the happy sounds to stave off the panic bubbling up in her chest. She's never been truly alone before, no matter how unimportant or ignored she's felt. But now she's on her own, not running with Tyler to take care of her like she was supposed to last year, and not on her way to take Klaus up on his promises of showing her the world like she knew she would have one day. No, now she is on the run to protect that tiny, giggling girl in the backseat, fathered by theguy who had promised to wait for her after sleeping with the backstabbing werewolf whose heart he should have torn out just as she had set him up to do to his hybrids.

Caroline scolds herself for that thought. She may hat the girl, but she doesn't wish Hayley dead. Especially now that she has that tiny baby to care fore—no one is better off without their parents.

Hope lets out a small cry of frustration and the blonde brings her focus back into the car, signaling a lane change to exit the highway. "Just a minute, baby girl, and we'll get you out of that seat for a while. How does that sound?" The cries stop while she speaks, but pick up with renewed vigor after. Pressing down on the gas pedal, Caroline turns onto a dark road a makes her way toward a motel sign she can just make out. Within minutes of arriving she's secured a room, using plenty of cash to remain anonymous, and the two exhausted girls are in the tiny room.

Caroline bounces the upset infant in one arm while frantically reading the instructions on the tub of formula. "Okay, baby, we can do this. Right? Yeah…we've got this." She vigorously shakes the bottle to combine the powder and water, then using the ancient microwave to heat the mixture before finally pressing the nipple against Hope's crying mouth. Immediately she latches on and the blonde lets out a shaky sigh of relief. "See, we can do this…"

Hope is settled into her car seat again, sleeping soundly after her bottle and a changing and Caroline sets the carrier on the tile floor in the bathroom before starting the shower. As the water heats up, the blonde eyes herself in the mirror, silently asking herself, not for the first time, why in the _world_ Rebekah came to her. She strips silently, glancing at the baby one more time before stepping into the shower and letting her frustrated tears fall.

She's angry that she's in this situation, cleaning up a mess not her own, again. She's angry that the defenseless child out there was in this situation, cursed to hide for the rest of who knows how long because of her bloodline. She's angry and terrified that they're on the run like Katherine was for so long, and not only because for the first time she sympathizes with the late vampire. And…as much as she hates herself for it, she's angry that Klaus slept with the werewolf, that Hayley got to carry his child in the first place. But that is a thought she can't let herself dwell on.

She cries for a few agonizing minutes before scrubbing her skin raw trying to feel like herself again. After rinsing the suds and conditioner from her hair and body, she turns the now tepid water off and steps out of the shower. The girl in the mirror has a resolved face on, looks more like the girl Caroline has been since her transformation two years before. And that is enough for her to feel more sure of herself as she dries and pulls on her yoga pants and the soft brown t-shirt she stole form Stefan sometime during her sober coach overtime days. Carrying the sleeping infant back into the main room and sighs heavily when she realizes that she doesn't have anywhere for Hope to sleep outside her car carrier. Making a mental note to stop at a chain store before leaving town tomorrow, Caroline sets the carrier down beside the bed and slips beneath the sheets and falls almost instantly asleep.

Hours later, as the sun is beaming in the window, Caroline decides Hope may be the best baby ever. She certainly doesn't take after her father and his temper, at least. The girl had slept soundly almost completely through the night and was easily soothed with a bottle and sink bath with minimal fuss and even some giggles at the splashing of the water. The blonde manages to slip the squirming girl into a turquoise onesie and snaps it closed before wriggling her into the most adorable purple pants and is quite satisfied with her handiwork. Reminding herself again, We can do this, Caroline secures Hope into the car seat and hands her a soft elephant she found in the diaper bag before taking a last look around the room. Satisfied that she has all of their belongings, she heaves the carrier into the crook of her elbow, grabs the few bags in her left hand and strides out to the car.

She feels eyes on her, she can sense it and it sets her stomach in knots. Refusing to give into the desire to search out the lurker, she keeps her focus on securing the carrier into the car and slipping behind the wheel to make a speedy exit from the parking lot. The feeling subsides, but the tension is still between Caroline's shoulder blades an hour later when she pulls into the parking lot of a Babies R Us and kills the ignition.

They're out of the store within an hour and Caroling loads the bassinet, pack and play and the abundance of clothes and blankets she couldn't resist buying into the trunk of the SUV she compelled from the cashier. Their belongings join the new purchases and the teen pats herself on the back. Shopping did little to alleviate the stress, but it did raise her spirits and she is happy to spend the next few minutes tickling the happy infant in the car. Before she decides to head out, she mixes another meal for Hope with some bottled water she bought inside. The tiny girl empties the bottle in minutes and they are on their way again.

After a long day on the road, Caroline is just as exhausted as the screaming baby in the backseat when she pulls off of the highway and heads into the city. She doesn't know when she made the conscious decision to run _here_ but it feels right. She follows the GPS directions until she pulls up to an unfamiliar apartment building and unloads the car seat and diaper bag instantly. Rocking the carrier on her arm as she makes her way into the building, Caroline eyes the door numbers while absently talking to Hope, smiling unconsciously as the baby calms at the sound of her voice. "Here it is, Hope. Here's home; for a while at least. Let's see what it looks like, hmm? Does that sound good? We'll go inside…make you a bottle and see if we can't get some rest?" The gurgle of seeming agreement makes her laugh gently as she slides the key into the apartment door.

It's stale, but Caroline definitely picks up his familiar scent when she enters the room and it both makes her homesick and comforts her. She wants to call him, but knows it's too dangerous. So she sets about ticking things off of her mental to do list. The girl quickly makes a bottle for Hope and settles her into her arms to feed her while exploring the rest of the space. There's not much, a living space with both a small bed and a large couch, a door leading to the bathroom and a compact kitchen. She smiles to herself, surprisingly, because it may not be the ideal home, but it would be enough for a young girl and a…her?...baby so start over. For maybe the first time, Caroline thinks that she can actually fulfill this role, and that they can be alright. It may not be the family she grew up envisioning, but this is what she had. And, looking around her new home, she knew—could feel in her heart—that this, this was right. She's sure this isn't what Stefan had in mind months ago when he gave her the spare key to his old apartment in Chicago, but it's being put to much better use now than it would have been for the weekend away he was pushing her to take back then.

**Author's Note 2:** What did you think? You're reviews are my fuel. I can't believe the response I have already gotten to this story and I _really_ want to do right by you guys, so let me know!


	5. Hope Renewed

**Author's Note: **First off, I am so damn sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. It didn't want to cooperate and I've literally had the first few and the last few paragraphs written since before I posted the last chapter and I could not get a natural flow to bridge them. I didn't want to put out a chapter that sounded forced. But I sat down today, when I was supposed to be doing sociology homework _while _at work, and BAM, longest chapter yet lol. Hope it is enough to make you forgive me for the delay! Review and let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. But I own the plot lines :)

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Three months. Three months since Rebekah returned to New Orleans. Three months have passed since the panic gripped his heart at the idea of Caroline on the run with Hope. Three months of fighting to get New Orleans under control and back in Mikaelson power. Ninety-six days of not knowing if the two girls are alive or dead.

Six months. Six months since the world of New Orleans flipped upside down. Six months since the perfect little girl was born, since her mother died and rose again. Six months since the werewolves and his mother started sapping the Hybrid's powers through the moonlight rings. Nearly a year without being able to lay his eyes on the infant Klaus never should have been able to father, and now doesn't get to raise.

Elijah and Hayley moved from the compound and out to one of the bayou houses. The new hybrid was being fueled by rage alone and unwilling to limit her hunting to catch and release and was leaving a trail of bodies across the quarter. The elder Mikaelson is working to get the girl under control without compulsion, but no one wants to push her too hard since she's suffering this loss as much as the rest of them, more even since she felt the girl grow inside her for months. The pain is taking its toll on all of them, but now is not the time for Hayley to go rabid and act out as she has been.

Elijah was the most upset about Rebekah's actions. Having had no real interaction with Caroline in Mystic Falls, he cannot fathom what his sister was thinking handing the miracle child off to a virtual stranger, and a baby vampire at that. It took Klaus and Rebekah forcibly holding him back to keep from setting off to track down the girls and tear the infant from the blonde's arms. That was _his_ family. But it wasn't until Hayley's broken, emotionless voice rang out that he calmed. Her own feelings toward the girl may not have been favorable, but she knew her to be loyal. And that loyalty would keep her daughter safe. The knowledge did nothing to temper her actions, however. And the anger she possessed for the vampire probably led to the violence Hayley handed out daily.

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He's not in anything resembling a celebratory or thankful mood by mid November. Klaus wants nothing more than to kill the entire supernatural population of Louisiana and track down Caroline and Hope, to take them into his arms and never let them out of his sight again. And yet, Rebekah insists on hosting a 'proper Thanksgiving holiday' for the family and supernatural leaders in the community. Elijah leapt onto the idea fast enough that Klaus is almost certain it is a ruse to get them all in one place and try again for diplomatic resolve, but he is choosing to sit back and observe rather than try to control the outcome. Diplomacy has only failed them since they returned to New Orleans, but the battles are waging on and proving inadequate to keep the attention of the fearsome hybrid.

He holes up in his study for the days leading up to the holiday; hardly leaving the room after Sunday. The rapping on the door startles him enough that the charcoal pencil in his hand drags across the paper, marring the delicate features he had been crafting from a bittersweet memory. He scowls when the blonde enters the room unwelcomed, heels cracking through the silence.

"Nik, get up. You look like hell, and you need to get out of this bloody room and live your life," the words sound harsh, but the worry is obvious across her furrowed brow. "This came for you."

The envelope she hands him is wrinkled and two of the corners are nearly torn open. There is no return address, just a postmark from New York and the faintest whiff of a scent he can't quite place. Cautiously, he pulls the envelope open and removes the contents; glad to be sitting already, as his legs would have buckled. Several photos clipped together slide out of the pages folded, the top image pulls at his heart, drawing tears to the hybrid's eyes. Loopy handwriting that he recognizes, though he's not sure he's ever actually seen it covers the pages. Flipping over the photos Klaus sees the same writing in small captions and dates and a short sob escapes his mouth before he can stop it.

_Dear Klaus,_

_Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are well and the fight for New Orleans is falling in your favor. The weather here has been great! And Hope is loving playing in the leaves. Does it get cold in Louisiana? My favorite part of this time of year has always been when the air gets a chill to it and you see the colors turn. And pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. Those are probably my actual favorite and should really be available all year. _

_I know that you're probably angry that I risked this letter. I didn't send it myself, I compelled a dear friend I made just after getting on the road to do it and forget about me when she did. So not only is the postmark not where we are, not even the friend who did mail it knows, so it can't lead back to us at all. I'm getting the hang of this 'on the run' thing. But I really wanted to share these with you, so I had to take the chance. She's getting so big! I've been taking the pictures for two months or so; I didn't want you to miss out on anything before we come home. No surprise, considering how dark her dad is, but she loved Halloween! We went to a harvest carnival and she was so enamored with all of the costumes and decorations, even the gory and frightening ones. She's definitely part of our world, no matter how girly and princess-y I try to treat her. _

_I really hope you are all doing well. I can't imagine how much you must miss her; I know how much family means to you. I'm sorry you are missing out on this time with her, but I am documenting everything I can to share with everyone. Even Hayley. How is she doing with it all? I know she's no one's favorite person, but she must be devastated. Just know that I am keeping her safe. No harm will come to her, I promise. _

_That's enough of the serious talk. Let me tell you what has been happening since I saw Rebekah. Hope is in the top three percentile for height and weight, growing like a weed. She's able to roll over and sit up on her own, and she's already trying to stand, which is pretty advanced. She loves playing with her blocks and her favorite stuffed animal is a little wolf we bought at the zoo last month. She needs it in her sightline at all times or she will throw quite a tantrum. Her temper may rival yours someday, heaven help us all. We started on rice cereal, applesauce and smashed steamed vegetables last month but I think I need to put some Cheerios on the shopping list because she wants to chew. I got her this teether thing that I can put fruit in for her to gnaw on and she really enjoys melon in that. Oh, and bananas. Those are probably her favorite because when I cut them up she can hold and mush them up herself._

_I think she's even going to start with basic words soon because she already has the simple consonant sounds down. 'D' is one of her favorites; I expect to hear 'Dada' any day now. Which is probably because I show her pictures of her Daddy every morning over breakfast and every night before we read 'Little Red Riding Hood.' Seeing a theme here? I make sure she knows I'm not her mom, that one day—hopefully soon—she will meet her Mommy and Daddy and they will love her so, so much. _

_Oh, and she looks more like you everyday! I swear it's true. She's already got quite the smirk, you can see it in a couple of the pictures. And they may be blue like yours, but she has Hayley's big round eyes. I don't need to tell you, but I will because I love talking about her—she's gorgeous. I kind of wish I could get her into pageants; she'd win them all. You better get New Orleans under control before she hits puberty, that's all I can say. Because I can keep her safe from a lot, but I think it takes a certain masculine quality to truly chase off the boys she's going to attract. I know my mom, Sheriff and all, wasn't able to scare away enough of the boys I brought around. But you're going to be using Kol's baseball bat to keep them away from her, I swear. _

_And she's a tough cookie! I got her ears pierced, I hope you don't mind. But I found the cutest gold rocking horse stud earrings and I couldn't resist. They are just darling, and made me think of that night outside the ball. But she didn't even flinch for the first ear. She whined a little bit when they did the second, but she sat still in my lap and has hardly paid any attention to them since. All of the other kids, especially the toddlers, were screaming their heads off, but Hope just sat there and watched in the little mirror in front of her. She's so curious, about everything! It's really something to see._

_She's perfect, Klaus. There's really no other word for it. She hardly ever cries, except crocodile tears that would rival your sister's. But she's exactly where she should be in growth and development. And she's had a few play dates—we joined a 'Mommy and Me' class at the rec center and she loves it. I've met a couple young mothers, so I have people I can relate to for advice and stuff. I know that I'm not her mom; that I'm just the one caring for her, but it's nice to know that I'm not completely screwing up. I don't want to do wrong by her. Or you. She deserves the best and that's what I am trying to give her. _

_I've got to wrap this letter up now, she's going to be waking up from her nap soon. I hope you are holding it together and not letting your temper get the better of you, Klaus. You need to keep your eye on the prize and _act_ instead of _reacting_ to everything and everyone around you. Hopefully Elijah can help you with that a little, because I know Rebekah learned her temper for you and I'm sure it's hard for you guys to keep on track sometimes. But as soon as you get everything in order, Hope can come home. And I know she would love that. _

_Before I go, can I ask you a favor? I know you have a lot on your plate already and I really have no right to ask anything of you, but can you check in on my mom? She's got to be going crazy, and I really don't want her to worry. I'm okay, and she needs to know that. I can't imagine how I would feel not knowing where Hope was, and she's not even mine. But if you could do that, I would really appreciate it. I hope to see you soon, Klaus. All of the Mikaelson clan. And I know Hope wants to meet her Daddy. _

_Be safe,_

_Caroline_

He feels as if he's been punched in the stomach. Klaus can't believe Caroline risked this, but it means so much to him. Slowly he pulls the photos free of the paper clip and examines every detail he can with his eyes blurred by tears.

Hope is smiling at him from the first photo, curly light brown hair sticking up like she's just awoken. She's reaching toward the camera, toward Caroline, and he traces his finger across her palm, imagining he's actually stroking his daughter's hand. The pink blanket behind her is one he recognizes from Caroline's room in Mystic Falls, and a warm feeling settles in his chest when he realizes that she's passed on her own childhood items to his little girl. No matter what she said, she's as much a mother to Hope as he or Hayley were her parents. She's been the only family the baby has known for months.

He flips to the second picture and smiles sadly. Caroline is dressed as Red Riding Hood and Hope is the grandma. He knows that the blonde meant for him to have a place as the Big Bad Wolf, and it breaks his heart that he wasn't there to fill it. His daughter is flashing an enormous toothless grin at the camera and appears to be clapping her hands. The third picture shows her sleeping on her stomach, arm stretched out and thrown over a grey wolf. The sheets underneath her are covered in tiny flowers of every color and she has a gray blanket pulled over her rear. No, not a blanket. Another sob escapes when he sees the buttons on the henley shirt that he has _no idea_ how Caroline got ahold of but he is so overwhelmed by the fact that his daughter has it that he can't breathe. She has something of his, some part of him is _with_ her.

Klaus flips through the dozen or so photos, sees his daughter in all manner of places always sporting looks of elation. The blonde he adores is in several of the photos, but in the background usually and he wonders idly who is taking the photos. Wonders if there is a man in their lives. The thought doesn't sit well and he moves on from it quickly, not wanting to mar his memories of these moments gazing at his daughter's face.

Rebekah sniffs behind him, and he realizes his sister is also memorizing the images. "I can't believe how much she's _grown_," she murmurs, awe filling her voice. It's only been a few months and Hope is almost unrecognizable as the tiny bundle she'd surprised Caroline with. The blonde drops her hand onto her brother's shoulder and his numb fingers grasp at it as a lifeline before he loses himself in his emotions.

Receiving the letter begins to rebuild the fire that was dying inside the Original siblings. Klaus raises the pages reverently up to his face, breathing deeply and realizes that the scent he couldn't place is the intermingled scents of his daughter and the girl he waited a thousand years to find. The letter breaks and mends his heart simultaneously. He feels a renewed sense of purpose, staring at his daughter's face. The hope he had been losing returning as he looks at Hope. She is worth all of the fight he has in him and more. And the thought of getting both girls back in his life in a permanent manner would be enough to send him into any battle and rise victorious.

With another quick squeeze to Rebekah's fingers, he releases her and carefully slides the papers back into the envelope, running to his room as fast as his legs will carry him. Kneeling silently, Klaus slides the loose floorboards free and opens the safe he has hidden there, even from his family, and tucks the letter away as if it were the most precious thing in the world. As far as he is concerned, it _is_ the most precious possession he has ever held in his thousand years roaming the earth. He strides down the stairs a few minutes later, searching out his sister and helping her to set the grand table she planned out before welcoming the guests into their home. He is ready for another attempt at diplomacy, his hope renewed. He is beyond ready for them to come home.

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**Author's Note 2: **So? What did you think? In character? Out of character? Does it seem plausible? I'm really loving this story, personally. So I really hope you all are too!


	6. Interlude - Beneficial

**Author's Note: **Not a chapter, really. Just felt inspired to write an interlude and do what I was already going to do, and share this bit of hope for Hayley. I was much more interested in her after tonight's TO premiere, so I wrote this.

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. But I own the plot lines :)

She hears the crunch and snap of dry leaves and twigs beneath his boots minutes before he finally knocks. Eyeing the hybrid through the tattered screen door, Hayley crosses to let him in with no more greeting than a cocked brow. "What do you want, Klaus?" His stance is uncomfortable as he shifts his weight, arms flexing behind him and falling to his sides once again.

Heaving a sigh, Klaus reaches into the pocket inside his jacket, pulling the envelope free and gripping it tightly enough to cause new creases in the tattered paper. "I have something for you. Something to show you. I'm going to keep them, at the compound, but you are welcome to see them now and anytime you like there." He takes long steps to come beside her as she leans on a small dining table. With tightness in his chest he relinquishes the envelope to the now curious fledgling hybrid. "There's a letter in there from Caroline, I think you should read it, but…those are what I really brought for you," the thousand year old mans voice is but a whisper as he eyes the photos in the girls fingers.

Hayley's legs buckle beneath her and she lands heavily on the wood floor. Hot tears fall quickly down her round cheeks while she studies her daughter's face. A quick, almost disbelieving glance at Klaus has him sinking down to sit beside her while they stare longingly at the face of the child they created together. She flips to the next picture and feels a stab of pain through her entire being seeing the blonde holding _her_ daughter. It wasn't fair; that Caroline got everything she wanted. But having these photos in her hands—knowing that Caroline was the one to take the time to send them—is more comforting that the grieving woman can comprehend.

"She's so _big_," her voice cracks on the last word and she looses a dry sob. Klaus nods silently next to her, tracing his finger over the infant's huge toothless smile. "Caroline's doing so good with her, isn't she? She was meant to be a mother…not like me…"

"Read the letter, Hayley. I think it will help you," his voice is reassuring even though the last thing he wants is to share the letter Caroline wrote to him, to share that connection to where he wanted to be. The whoosh of air announces Elijah's arrival and the hair rises on the back of Klaus' neck while his brother takes the scene in.

"I didn't expect to find you here, Niklaus. Hayley, why are you crying?" The elder Mikaelson enters the ramshackle house and stops a few feet away from the two on the floor. His eyes roam over her features, quickly searching her for injury. It's then that he notices the photo paper in her hands and he raises a brow while he waits for one of them to offer an explanation.

"I won't be staying long, 'Lijah. I received a letter. From Caroline. And I thought that it could be as…beneficial…to Hayley, and to you, as I found it to be for me. Come. Join us," the younger brother gestures to the floor where they have huddled in their bittersweet longing. Curiosity piqued, Elijah sinks down beside the sobbing mother and turns to the photos she holds more tightly than Klaus likes. The gasp that escapes the usually calm Original rings through the near silence in the bayou house. "Is that…?"

They nod together, examining every detail of the sleeping girl pictured. Handing the photos to the newest member of the trio, Hayley unfolds the letter and begins to read silently. She sobbed heavily through the paragraph about everything Hope was learning to do, how much she'd grown in just the three months that the vampire had had her. And her breath catches when she sees that Caroline acknowledged that she isn't Hope's mom; that she's not trying to take that role from her. She can't believe that she is being so selfless; after everything that's been taken from her that she would be so willing to give up more for Hayley and Klaus of all people.

Elijah skims the letter while Hayley reads slowly, taking in every word. He never really knew Ms. Forbes, but they would all be indebted to her for the rest of eternity for everything she has done—is doing—for them. He swears to himself that, when the opportunity arises, he will take the time to get to know the girl and truly make sure that she is appreciated for all she is risking and sacrificing. She's barely more than a child herself, and like Hayley she was drawn into the problems of the Original family without any due cause. She is fighting like the rest of them, braver than the rest of them combined to have taken all of this so in stride. It truly saddens him to think that she may not even consider this the most dangerous thing she has been through after growing up—and transitioning—in Mystic Falls in the last few years. They all deserved some easy happiness when this is all over, and Elijah vows that he will make it happen.

Hayley reaches out a shaky hand, gripping Klaus' forearm tightly as she takes it all in. She understands why Klaus brought the letter to her with the photos. The pictures show them why they're fighting to take back New Orleans, but the letter…the letter reminds them what they're fighting for. They're going to bring Hope home.


	7. Normalcy in Anonymity

**Author's Note: **This chapter is pretty slow, I don't know why the muse was bogged down in the little things, but that's the way it came out. Not too much else to say about out, so without further adieu, I give you Caroline and Hope

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my settings. The Klaus quote in the middle is obviously not mine. But I own the plot lines :)

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"Grlllphfft," she squeals delightedly. Caroline laughs watching Hope clap her hands excitedly. "Good job, baby girl! Good job." The blonde pulls the sides of the toy apart, letting the different shaped blocks fall loose. She watches the infant pick up a block in each hand and studiously stare at the toy again. With a gentle smile, the blonde returns to her closet, pulling on a soft sweater and her tall brown boots. She watches her charge in the mirror while swiping on a coat of mascara and turns away from the glass satisfied, and double checks the items stuffed into the diaper bag for their trip to the farmers' market.

"Okay, little one. It's time to go. Yes, it is," the smile is evident in her voice and Hope picks up on the excitement and she squeals and bounces on her bottom, reaching for the blonde center of her world. They laugh together while Caroline fastens her into the carrier on her chest, tucks a think knit blanket around her and swallows her last mouthful of her blood-laced coffee. She had made the decision pretty quickly not to drink from blood bags in front of Hope, not sure when her cravings would start or if she would want or need to drink blood at all since she was the first born hybrid. She was going to play it by ear—not her favorite way to operate—and hope that it wouldn't happen until she was able to be at home with her hybrid parents.

The walk from the apartment to the market is short, but it's brisk enough out that both girls have pink cheeks from the cold wind. Hope starts bouncing against her eagerly and Caroline looks ahead to see Willow and Lilly, a mother and daughter from the Mommy and Me class that they had joined a few months ago. The blonde likes to think that she and Willow would have been friends in any other life, that the striking red head would have fit in well with their group in Mystic Falls. She's sweet but sarcastic, shy but clearly strong. She's a wonderful mother, and is always the first one to offer advice to Caroline when she begins to look overwhelmed. It helped that she was only twenty-two, so the two young parents could relate in that sense. Lilly was a pale little thing, with bright blue eyes and bright red fluff atop her head; about two inches shorter than Hope, but almost three months older.

Caroline blames this knowledge, and the fact that she read the entire _Twilight_ series too many times, for her slightly irrational fear that Hope was growing faster than expected. It was hard raising the first child of her kind, especially with no practical experience with babies in general. She is sure that her pediatrician definitely considered her one of those crazy first time moms, calling all the time and making appointments for every little thing. Between the internet and Willow, though, she thinks she's finally starting to calm down.

"Why hello, Miss Lilly. How are you today?" The vampire says with a big smile, happily receiving a drooly grin from the consistently happy child. "You got a third tooth in? When did that happen, young miss? We just saw you on Tuesday." The women both laugh and begin to catch up while the infants babble at one another. The stalls are still being set up along the main street so when the girls get restless they make their way into a small café for the warmth and the blessed caffeine. The shop is full of students doing homework before classes let out for the holiday next week and young parents and their children waiting for the farmer's market like Caroline is. While she and Willow continue talking, the young vampire can feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and starts surveying the crowd distractedly, her arms wrapping instinctively in a protective stance around Hope.

"Caroline? Are you okay?" Willow's voice breaks through her concentration, the worried tone implying that she's already called her name more than once. "Yeah, fine. I just…thought I heard someone I used to know. But I guess not. Which makes sense, why would anyone from back home be in Chicago?" She tries to play it off, laughing lightly at herself, but the look on the red head's face tells her she was unsuccessful. A glance out the window lends her the opportunity for a subject change and she recommends that they make their way out to see the booths that have begun to open.

They wander for hours among the stalls, eventually meeting up with a couple other mothers from the class. Caroline is happy to spend the afternoon with the closest people she has to friends anymore, but she can't shake the feeling that there is someone there that she shouldn't see or be seen by. She keeps her arms wrapped tightly around the baby, holding her close and annoying the child who has begun to squirm and fuss. She tries to loosen her grip, moving one hand below her to bounce her gently while humming a familiar tune she can't quite place. It seems to do the trick and Caroline forces her attention back on the conversation carrying one around her.

"…then he drops her! Right one her butt. It was only from couch height, nothing she hasn't already done trying to climb the cushions on her own. But he dropped. My child. So he's on the couch, getting _really_ well acquainted with it because he's not coming back to bed until I can trust him." All of the women bob their heads simultaneously, making quiet sounds of agreement with the slim brunette who was talking. Caroline rolled her eyes internally, feeling like she was back in high school, the early years—the human years—when another slim brunette was the constant center of attention. Idly, it reminds Caroline how much has changed—how she has changed—in the last few years. Not too long ago she would have detested standing next to this girl, letting all of the spotlight shine on her, in all her _Elena Gilbert_ glory. But now, the baby vampire was happy for the normalcy associated with being anonymous. All of these women knew her and Hope's first names and nothing more. As if she was just a single mom from Nowheresville, USA, trying to start over with her little one in a new city full of opportunity and expectations.

That is why the feeling she can't shake is bothering her so much. She is enjoying the normal life that was stolen from her. If she can't find the cause of the feeling before the afternoon is out, her night will be spent packing up the belongings in the apartment and picking a new town on the map tucked in the car door. Turning her attention to the group she is walking with, she finds they've stopped in a large stall with delicate handmade jewelry and small accessories. The women are all cooing over this necklace or that pair of earrings and the simplicity of the shallow conversation is both reassuring and slightly depressing after all she's been through until this point. But that doesn't stop her eyes running over the small chains and pendants. Her breath catches when she sees it.

The chain is so thin she can only see it clearly because of her enhanced vampire vision, the light glinting off of it delicately. But it is the tiny pendant that catches her attention. It's a tiny silver hummingbird, no bigger than one of Hope's thumbnails. This has become a common occurrence, she's noticed. Tiny symbols or figures that are innocuous in themselves but call forth a dear and specific memory.

"_I never answered your question, if I'd ever thought about being human. Once. I was on a track in the Andes, and a hummingbird flew up to me and just hovered there staring at me. Its tiny heart was pattering like a machine gun… And I thought, 'what a thing, you know, to have to work that hard every day just to stay alive, to be constantly on the verge of death, and how satisfying every day must be that it survived…' And that was the only time I thought about being human." _

The words ring through her mind, her heart racing as his voice fills her ears. Every time she sees something that reminds her of him, of their time together, it's the same. The racing heart, the slight tunnel vision and she forgets to breathe. Hope squirms again, and Caroline caresses her leg gently, knowing that she is picking up on the tension radiating from her caregiver. Before she thinks about it, the necklace is purchased and clasped around her thin neck.

As she becomes aware of her surroundings again, she curses silently. There is a familiar set of broad shoulders across the street, but she can't place who it is. What was he doing here? He couldn't find her. No one could know where she was—where they were. "I'm sorry, you guys, I'm really not feeling very well this afternoon. I think I'm going to get us home and out of the cold. We'll see you guys on Tuesday, right?" The gaggle of girls nod sympathetically, and Willow asks that Caroline call her the next day and she agrees before shifting the diaper bag on her shoulder and turning to head up the street. The familiar shape of her observer is no longer visible on the crowded sidewalk and the vampire's senses are going haywire trying to locate him. Her pace is quick enough to satisfy her desire to hurry, but slow enough not to attract attention in such a public arena.

"Almost there. We're almost there, baby girl. And then we'll pack up and be on our way. Sound good? Yeah…that sounds like fun. Do you want to go to the beach maybe? Or a cabin in the mountains somewhere? That could be nice—a vacations cabin somewhere for Christmas…" She's babbling toH, though she thinks the baby is actually asleep. The words are soothing, though. It makes her feel as though she has some kind of a plan. Which she does. In a notebook. On the kitchen table. It's all written out in color-coded lists. But Caroline cannot for the life of her remember any of it. And that terrifies her.

The walk seems much longer than it really is; it takes just a few minutes that seem like miles before they are in front of the apartment building. She glances around again, looking for the face she's scared to see. Unable to find him, she slips inside the building and whooshes up the stairs. Letting herself into the apartment, she shuts the door quietly and unbuckles the carrier to release Hope. Once the baby is sleeping in the crib beside the bed, Caroline uses her vampire speed to race around the small quarters, packing the essentials and ignoring anything they can live without or find and purchase again easily.

She drops the duffel bags by the door and empties the fridge contents into the cooler she keeps in the pantry; bags of blood beside bottles of formula and jars of baby food. She's just turned back toward the crib when she hears someone in the hall outside the door. Snatching the sleeping baby into her arms she dashes into the pantry and behind the bookcase, ducking below a shelf and cradling Hope to her breast. She's not breathing, but her dead heart is pounding in fear as she hears his footsteps enter the apartment.

_I'm so sorry._ She thinks._ I thought I could protect you. I thought that I was going to be strong enough. _The fear rising through her body is setting her muscles on fire.

He walks through the space quietly, obviously searching for her and she pulls Hope tighter against her body while she prepares for the worst. The click of the lock on the pantry coming loose is deafening to her heightened senses as the door swings open. Another moment and the bookcase slides forward as well. She wrenches her eyes open to stare down her attacker and feels like she's been punched in the gut.

"_Caroline_?!"

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**Author's Note 2:** So, what do you think? I'm sorry this chapter was so slow, especially after how awesome the Klebekah chapter was. This one just needed to get things moving forward. But, I have to ask, who do you think found them?

**Author's Note 3: **Do any of you lovely readers do art covers? I have never asked for one before, but I am really curious what you might come up with for this story. I'm also quite curious to see what you guys think Hope looks like (is that weird? haha) Anyways, just thought I would ask. Have a good one!


	8. Welcome Battle and Unwelcome Visitor

**Author's Note: **I guess I'm not showing the battle, at least in this case. I had planned to at least attempt it, but my muse shot me down and gave me this instead. I hope you still like it

**Disclaimer: **Any recognizable details belong to the creators of TVD/TO; I simply borrow what I can to keep the story as close to canon as possible. I do, however, own my storyline.

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His boots drag wetly across the courtyard, the blood of the fallen marking his trail as he makes his way through the compound. The battle with the Correa wolves had taken longer than expected. The guerrilla style attack started two days ago, extending well past the mid night point that the Hybrid expected it to end. Nearly forty-eight straight hours of bloodshed, the number of recruited werewolves was higher than the Originals had foreseen and many uninvolved lives were lost because of the alliance.

Hayley is silent the entire way back to the house, stopping inside only long enough to pull a different outfit on before leaving to run the bayou on her four legs. This has become her way to deal with the emotions she doesn't want to face or can't yet process and no one can begrudge her that. The fallen recruits were her friends and the people she had looked on as family; just more loss she will come to blame on Klaus and his quest for power.

Elijah forcibly pulls his lips into a hard line, repressing the wry smile he has shown throughout the fighting. His sleeves are pushed around his elbows, leaking red trails down his forearms, the blood dripping heavily from his hands. The ever-noble brother, who cherishes life, had fallen victim to the bloodlust that comes with centuries of denying his violent nature. He swiftly climbs the steps to his quarters, immediately shedding his destroyed clothing and stepping into a steamy shower. When he steps out later, he will again be wearing the mask of calm diplomacy.

The baby sister of the Mikaelson clan is not so self-deprecating. The smile is evident on her face as she pulls sinew from the bulky ring she wore on a finger. Her brother's temper runs through her just as strongly, hidden behind the innocent smile and doe eyes. It has been months since she has been able to fight back, since before she had hidden away with Hope. She hadn't realized how helpless running had made her feel, especially running alone for the first time. Her gaze sweeps to find Nik, noting the heaviness weighing on his body but still catching the light in his eyes. His fist is raised by his side, and she knows his fingers to be clenched around the twelve stones that have been draining his body regularly for more than half a year now. For the first time since arriving in New Orleans the first time last year, she feels joy at this small win. Her brother is free from one of his horrors, and they were on their way to defeating the hordes in the city. One step closer to bringing their baby home.

Klaus feels the skin of his fingers splitting slowly, his grip on the stones tightening even more. His blood falls to mingle with the blood of his enemies coating his body. Crossing the room, he forces his fingers open and drops the twelve lumps of rock onto the desk top, watching them skitter across the polished surface. His muscles burn with the pent up energy that has flooded him as he takes the victory to heart. His head drops back and a roar escapes him, his voice trailing off in a howl to appease his wolf. He flashes up to his quarters and strips to shower as well, taking his time to scrub the remnants of the battle from his skin, his finger nails, and scrubbing until the water runs clear down the drain.

The siblings make their way downstairs an hour later, gathering in the study. Rebekah pours drinks and distributes them while Elijah studies the dusty book in his hands. Klaus claps his hands loudly, drawing their attention to him and raising his drink.

"Thank you, brother, sister. I could not have accomplished this without you." He drops the stones into the bowl on the desk beside him. "The wolves fell at our hands, any remaining will go into hiding. The alliance with the witches is broken, they will be next to fall. But, I do thank you both, and Hayley as well. We are one step closer to bringing my daughter back to us. To having the city safe enough to raise her here. So, I am indebted to you."

"Nonsense, Niklaus. The city is all of our home, not singularly yours. And Hope is our family as well. We have always taken on the world together, and we forever will. You owe us nothing," Elijah barely looks up from his book to respond, but the sentiment rings true. He crosses the room suddenly, upturning a goblet and drizzling the contents over the stones, releasing a hissing sound as the liquid bore into them.

"Not true, Nik. You owe me a new outfit. There is no way that blouse is going to be saved," the sweet-sarcastic smile Rebekah sends his way is both teasing and appreciative. She throws him a wink, "We can go shopping over the weekend."

Dropping his head to hide a gentle smile, the middle sibling pulls his sister to his side in a one armed hug. "Not going to happen, little sister. It's only been a few years since I was forced to endure that in Chicago. Order something and send me the bill," he laughs as she punches his ribs half-heartedly.

Heels clicking on the stone courtyard draw their attention before Cami enters the house proper. "Klaus?" She calls out and he is suddenly hit with the memory of Caroline calling to him similarly—though far less unwelcomingly, no matter how he behaved—on her Prom night the year before. "Klaus…?" She enters the study and her word trails off when she eyes the siblings almost warily. The change in her as she puts on her brave face, betraying her inherent fear of the centuries old vampires in the room, and draws herself to stand tall. "Marcel needs you. He didn't want to bring down the high when you all separated, but one of them got him. He's…he's hallucinating and I can't get through to him. Like Kieran when he was hexed. He tried to _bite me_, Klaus. He's never bitten me before. He told me to come get you, that you could help him."

With a sigh Klaus internally rolls his eyes, almost wishing he could compel the girl to stop her rambling. It's not nearly as endearing in this incarnation. "Rebekah—" he starts but she is already reentering the room with a small bottle and stopper for Klaus to drain some blood into for their comrade. He nods his thanks, swiftly biting into his wrist to open a stream of liquid flowing form his wrist and into the small receptacle. After a few moments he pulls his hand away, the blood flow cut off, and forces the cork into the mouth of the jar. He tosses it to his sister without explanation and she flashes away. "Rebekah will handle it, sweetheart. Go home. Don't leave your house until midday tomorrow. Get some rest while we wait for the witches and whoever else to react. Stay indoors, and answer it to no one except my family or Marcel. Travel safely," he dismisses her and turns his attentions back toward Elijah as she exits.

"That's it, then? The stones are neutralized? They'll no longer sap my strength on the moon?" he addresses his elder brother with rapid-fire questions, desperate for this fears to be soothed. The helplessness he's felt the last months is unlike anything he has felt in over a millennia and he doesn't trust his sanity to survive should he be forced to endure it another night. His jaw is clenched as he waits mere dragged out seconds for his brother's confirmation.

"Indeed, the stones are nothing more than black rock now. The magic has been diffused. And the stones will be destroyed, just in case," he claps a hand on his brother's shoulder, feeling some of the tension in both his body and the air dissipate. They fall into companionable silence as they truly come down from the heightened state they've been operating at for the last two days. After a few moments, Elijah stands with a nod before leaving the room. Klaus raises and eyebrow but says nothing, content to let his brother follow around behind the little wolf if that is what pleases him. Surely he was not one to judge, there is a girl he would happily follow around if_ she_ were here to give _him_ the option.

Eventually, he makes his way from the room as well. At a human speed he climbs the stairs to his studio, draining his glass along the way. Entering the room slowly, he sweeps his eyes across the canvases along the wall; all of them offering the same faces looking back at him. _This_ was how he kept sane, imagining the day to day life Caroline was living with his daughter and illustrating their moments. He wouldn't let anyone else look upon them, not yet. But this was his method. He lifts his sketchbook and pencil from the table and sinks onto the couch. While still studying the faces against the wall, his pencil traces lines on the page; hours later he will realize that this new face is a beautiful combination of the girls he missed more than anything. The sketchbook falls heavily to the couch as his head lays against the cushion, a heavy sigh escaping him.

It's hours later when Rebekah returns to the compound, a flush to her cheeks indicating she stopped to feed. She drops the empty bottle onto a side table and sinks into the sofa cushions in the large front living room. Her eyes fall shut as her body relaxes and she's nearly fallen asleep when she senses a presence in the room. She sits bolt upright, flipping her head to the side to search out the intruder. She's turning as she scans the room and rushes forward, reaching her hand to the throat of the Salvatore brother that was skulking in the darkness. "What are _you_ doing here?"

He pulls her fingers from his neck and she lets him. His eyes go hard before responds and his tone is sharp and accusatory. "Where's Caroline? Your scent was all over her house the night she disappeared. We've let you guys have your fun doing God knows what, but her mother is worried sick. Her friends need her help. There's a…situation at home."

Rebekah scoffs dryly before throwing her fist into his chest, sending the vampire flying across the room. "What makes you think I know anything? I'm sure she's got a damn good reason for not sitting around and your beck and call, Damon. Maybe she got sick of pretending you're not the monster that ruined her life because you want to play house with the doppelganger. Or maybe she realized that town was too small for her, after all."

"Uuuhhhh," he groans, standing slowly with a hand pressed to his ribs. "What are you even _talking_ about, Barbie? Caroline **IS** small town. She's _Miss Mystic Falls_, for Christ's sake."

"Is that really all you heard?" She shakes her head incredulously. The fool really didn't get it, at all, did he? She's not sure why she is surprised. Stefan was the only one of that whole lot that ever made the girl a priority. The rest of them only cared about the damn doppelganger—especially the blond in question. The thought makes her bristle on Caroline's behalf as much as her own. She had fought beside these children for months, knowing that they would sacrifice her without a thought. What must that feel like when you had known and trusted the people for your entire life? Not for the first time in these months, Rebekah feels guilty for pulling the young girl into their problems. She turns back to her intruder with a sneer.

"Get the hell out of my house, Salvatore. Before Nik comes back. He's always in the mood for a fight lately. And I'm sure he'd _love_ to hear about how Caroline learned about vampires…" the threat hangs in the air when she runs forward, a boot to his groin sending him flying into the foyer. "If I see her, I'll tell her that a group of self centered and helpless nitwits are looking for her." Another kick has Damon out through the front door, a cloud of dust raising from stoop he lands heavily on. She slams the door and heads back to lie down on the couch.

* * *

**Author's Note 2:** This chapter was a little different, not sure I love it but this was how it wanted to be written. It had to be reworked a little bit because some changes were made to the next chapter after last week's TVD episode. Sorry it took so long to get this posted. I got bogged down in school work :/ What did you think?


	9. Found Out

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this one. I have no real excuse. I had to tweak it some after watching the last few TVD episodes. This story is only going to incorporate some aspects of what is going on, but the Carenzo friendship isn't one of them at this point. (In my original idea for this chapter it was Enzo who was going to find her, so points to anyone who picked him, but I opted to go in a different direction.)

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, but I am playing with the plots they are lost in.

"Caroline?" He grabs the quivering blonde and pulls her tightly against his chest. The girl in question can't breathe. She never thought any of them would find her here. She was supposed to stay invisible, under the radar. Klaus was going to kill her—it was going to happen. Hope wasn't a secret anymore. Rationally she knew that he didn't know that this was Klaus' child—no one in mystic falls and the surrounding knew that Klaus had a child. Wait…did Tyler? Her mind is racing and she barely notices that he's talking to her again. "…been looking for you. What are you doing here? How long have you been here?"

She drops her mouth open, but no sound comes out. Stefan is staring at her with huge eyes, and its not until Hope whimpers from her place between the two forever teens that he pulls back and takes stock of the girl in front of him. She sees the thoughts fly across his face as he tries to process what he is seeing. Caroline scrambles for the explanation she had come up with when she first arrived in Chicago, knowing that Stefan knew her well enough, that he wouldn't question her saving a child.

"She's mine. Well…not _mine_ mine, but I'm all she has. Her name is Hope," she lifts the infant to her shoulder and angles herself so that her friend can see the baby's face. "Her parents were killed. Vampires. I was able to get her out though. And now…here we are." The blonde scrambles to her feet and steps farther back into the hidden cavern, unconsciously taking a defensive stance as she realizes that she's essentially trapped by Stefan right now. After a moment to steady herself, she goes to breeze past the older vampire and into the kitchen. "I'm sorry we took over your apartment. I was already on my way here, needed to get away and all. And I was at a rest stop diner when I found this little lady, so I brought her with me. I was already thinking about moving on though, so we'll just pack up and get out—"

"Caroline, Caroline, slow down. Are you okay? You just disappeared. What happened?" Stefan flashes in front of her, stopping a few feet away with this hands raised as though he was trying to calm a frantic animal. The thought makes her want to laugh—she's felt anything but frantic these last few months, finally living out from under the oppressing fear that suffocated Mystic Falls.

"I'm fine, Stefan. I just…with everything going on, I needed to take a breather. I should have said something, I guess. But you would have just tried to talk me out of it. I'm still researching what I can about the Travellers and why they need the doppelgangers, but I'm doing it out here. If I find anything, you know I will help you guys the best I can. But…I'm tired of fighting so hard just to live, Stefan. Is that so wrong?" Her brows are pulled together as she silently begs him to take her story at face value. She sees her friend deflate, his face falling completely as he steps forwards to pull her into a gentler hug.

"Of course that's not wrong, Caroline. Everything you've been through the last couple years, everything that I brought back to Mystic Falls…I understand. I'm sorry you got sucked into everything. I don't know if I ever said that? I'm sorry for Katherine and Klaus, I'm sorry for Damon…"

"Don't, Stefan. Seriously. This is not the time or place, or audience," she gestures to the baby drifting to sleep against her shoulder, "for _that_ discussion. It's all over and done with, anyway. I just need to get going. Keep trying to start a life for myself." She's nodding her head, trying to reinforce that desire to them both. It's harder now, having seen her friend after so long, to want to stay on her own. But she has a responsibility to the girl cradled in her arms. She crosses to the crib in the corner and lays the sleeping baby down, turning to pack the other items not already bagged by the door, taking her time now that she knew she wasn't in imminent danger.

Stefan shoves his hands in his pockets, following his friend with his eyes. He had to convince her to come home. They needed her. But was he the one to do it? He had run off to Chicago on his own, after all, sick of watching Elena and Damon play house with no real concern for the Travellers that were taking over the town. Did he have the right to tell her to go back to a place that he wanted to escape just as badly. Maybe he should just let her go…

Adding the last box of personal items to the pile by the door, Caroline turns to Stefan. "If you want to give me a hand, I think we can get this all loaded into the car in just a couple trips and you can have your apartment back." Without waiting for a response, she shoves a couple bags into his arms and drops her car key on into his palm. "The silver Toyota just down from the building entry." She turns away from him dismissively and hangs the carrier from her front again, quietly picking Hope back up to secure the sleeping baby into it. The two vampire get the car packed quickly and Stefan manages to dismantle the crib for Caroline to take with her as well. Before long, Hope is in her car seat and secured in the backseat of the small SUV and Caroline is standing awkwardly in front the of man who has become her best friend in the last two years, waiting for him to say his piece so that she can make her escape. She knows that if she stays much longer, neither is going to be able to say goodbye and let her go.

She idly considers the idea that he could join her on the road, but knows that it would mean bringing added risk to her mission. It's hard to keep someone off the radar when _two_ unaging forever teens move into a new city, and she doesn't know how long it will take Klaus and his siblings to make New Orleans a suitable home for the Original family's newest addition. She knows it will happen as soon as he is physically capable, but that could potentially be years and it would be hard enough for one undead, seemingly teen parent, to go unnoticed for that long.

Without saying a word, the blonde throws herself into her best friend's arms, hugging him tightly. She knows that he's confused, and that she's not offering any real answers. But they aren't her answers to give. They both let a few silent tears fall as the overwhelming sense of goodbye sinks in. They have no idea when, or even if, they will see one another again and it's truly terrifying for people who are so innately alone as these two. With a deep breath, she steps back and drags her hands across her cheeks to hide the tear tracks. Somehow, actually saying goodbye now seems harder than leaving in the middle of the night months ago.

Meeting the girls eyes, Stefan conveys his regret and sadness, but he voices the words she needs to hear. "Take care of yourself, Caroline. And know that I will always be here for you, if you need it. All of us are. Just…call and I'll be there, okay?"

"I will. As soon as I can, I'll call. But…just, not yet. We need to get settled. Me and Hope, I mean. And I just, I need time to move past everything that has happened. And I think some time away, to really, I don't know, accept that I'm a vampire and not a normal college student, will do me some good. It's time to pull my head out of the sand. Or the clouds. Wherever I was living…" she's rambling, but she can't seem to reign it in. That makes her start to laugh, almost uncontrollably, as she remembers a time when this was her base personality. When her laughter slows she pulls a pained smile, "Goodbye, Stefan. Be safe." She squeezes his hand and gets into the driver's seat of the small SUV.

Pulling away from the curb here in Chicago is infinitely harder than leaving Mystic Falls because now it is real. Now, she realizes, she is really turning away from her friends, keeping secrets and shutting them out. Up until now, it's been a surreal experience, just trying to keep an innocent baby safe. Now she's leaving Stefan, as much for his safety as her own, and the life she's made for herself and the baby she loves here.

A glance in the rearview mirror shows her hero haired vampire mentor watching her drive into the distance. Taking a deep breath, she turns away from his reflection and turns toward the highway. Taking the westbound on ramp, Caroline smiles at the infant waking up in the backseat and starts to imagine what the apartment they will find in California will look like.


	10. A Study in History

**Author's Note: **I am posting this second chapter tonight because I have gone so long without an update. I did not think this chapter was going to be this long, but the story grew when I started typing. I hope it seems in character, let me know!

**Disclaimer: **Any recognizable details belong to the creators of TVD/TO; I simply borrow what I can to keep the story as close to canon as possible. I do, however, own my storyline.

"Was that a Salvatore I saw licking his wounds with a bottle of bourbon in the Quarter, Rebekah?" Klaus keeps his voice as nonchalant as he is able, but knows that he's not fooling his sister. Her brow quirks but she returns to her magazine without responding. The Virginian vampire's scent fills the room, and there are noticeable blood drops in the entryway, so he is sure that his sister had an…encounter with the sarcastic man. "Really, Bekah. Bringing that relationship drama into the house at a time like this…"

"Get off it, Nik. You know that there was no _relationship_ there. Just sex…kind of like you had with Hayley," the Original sister still doesn't look up from the magazine in her hands, but the hybrid knows that he has her full attention. A quirked brow of his own and she sighs before turning her gaze to meet his. "What do you want me to say? He needed to be acquainted with my boot. A couple times. You can hardly judge me for that. I know he's not _your_ favorite person." She rises from the couch and makes to leave to room, not surprised when she feels long fingers wrap around her forearm and stop her escape.

"Why did he need to be bloodied this time, sister? I can only assume it has something to do with Mystic Falls and the perpetual cycle of dysfunction those children find themselves enduring. Was another one of them bit trying to out snark a werewolf?" Letting his hand fall away, Klaus crosses his powerful arms across his chest and regards his sister curiously. He can feel that she is withholding some kind of sensitive information, has since she returned to New Orleans, but he has know idea what that has to do with the elder Salvatore.

"I don't know about a wolf bite, he didn't actually ask for you. They are seeking out Caroline. Picked up my scent at her house when we left and are tired of her taking care of herself instead of them. _Damon_," she spits his name out as though it offends her just to say it, "thought I had her tucked away here and would hand her over just because he asked."

"And…why did that cause a fight? Surely you are able to outtalk even someone who is so enamored with their own voice."

Heaving another tired sigh, Rebekah sets her shoulders before she responds. They were walking a dangerous path with this discussion. If her brother gained too much information, she would have her hands full just trying to keep him from waging another war before he has a handle on New Orleans. "I merely reminded him that Mystic Falls isn't all that it is cracked up to be. That maybe…Caroline just wanted some time away from the insufferable doppelganger and her infinite problems."

"And…what exactly was it that he wouldn't want me to learn? If that's all you said to him, I can't see why my name was brought up at all…?" Prodding his sister to be honest with him, Klaus admits that he was in courtyard while the two were fighting, that he had heard a portion of the argument before he left to deal with another member of the Correa organization.

"The two…have a history. I was simply saying what needed to be said to get him out of the house. Whatever inferences he may have made…" Rebekah's eyes grow wide as she sees her brother's glow golden. She can't avoid the truth much longer.

"The _truth_, Rebekah," the elder growls, barely containing his rage as she dances around the subject. There is more to the story between Caroline and the raven haired vampire that brought so much havoc into her life. He has known that since his arrival in Mystic Falls.

Under his compulsion, Katherine had explained that Damon had followed Stefan to town when the younger had come upon the newest doppelganger. In an effort to make life difficult for his younger sibling, something Klaus could agree with as he had done the same to all of his siblings sometime over that last centuries, Damon had attacked numerous citizens and students in the small town and done nothing to cover his tracks. The weeks that followed brought the council back together and led to many close calls for Stefan and then Caroline when she turned. Klaus knew that Damon was partially responsible for that as well; the girl had been injured in a move by the council and had been given blood from Damon in order to heal her injuries. Of course, her actual death and transition was brought on by Katherine herself when she was trying to collect offerings for the Original to use in his ritual, so he may spare her life even after all of these years.

From Tyler, Klaus had learned about Caroline's early days and weeks as a vampire. He knew that she had transitioned alone, and killed that first night. But the only part of the story that seemed relevant was that Damon had nearly killed her then. This wasn't the only time the threat had been thrown around, and the older vampire's disregard for the blondes safety was relevant even when he wasn't actively out to get her. The numerous times the group had thrown Caroline at him more than proved that on their own.

But none of this seemed relevant enough for the supremely cocky vampire to flee after only a minor tussle with the vampire before him as he had. All of these thoughts fly across Klaus' mind as Rebekah processes his request and tries to formulate a diplomatic response to answer his questions without sending him into a rage.

"Before she changed, Caroline had gotten caught up in one of Damon's plans to tear Stefan down…" The hybrid stiffens at her words and she stops instantly. Planting a hand against her brother's chest, Rebekah shoves him toward the couch. "Sit. I will get us drinks and we can _discuss_ what I have to tell you. But, Nik, you must remember to keep Caroline's _current safety_ in mind, rather than reacting to her past that she has clearly survived. Can you contain yourself? Or am I wasting my breath even trying to talk to you?" Rebekah raises her brow at him as she strides confidently toward the drink cart against the wall. She knows he's not going anywhere. When it comes to Caroline, her brother will likely always be able to reign himself in until he had time to properly plot out his revenge. Returning with a glass over filled with scotch, the younger blonde hands it off and sips slowly at her own.

Once they have both settled into the couch cushions, at least feigning calm, she turns toward him. "I didn't find this out before, Nik. You need to know that. She doesn't dwell on it. Probably because no one else admits anything happened," her eyes roll harshly as she half whispers the last sentence. "Caroline only told me about this while we were packing things up for her to leave. I was trying to warn her about what could happen to her if she gets found out. I was recounting some of the more…brutal treatments I have been victim to at the hands of people trying to get information on you the few times we were estranged in the last centuries."

Rebekah doesn't need to look at her brother to know that his brow is pulled in a pained expression. He is likely remembering a time in France when she was captured and held prisoner for months until the brothers found her. Being a vampire, and an Original at that, Rebekah had come out of it mostly intact, though there had been a period of time in her healing when she had been nearly unrecognizable in her pain and distrust. Imagining Caroline going through even a fraction of that tore at both of the siblings, but Rebekah prepared to continue. If nothing else, knowing that she was able to come out of her ordeal as the person she was now would comfort elder Mikaelson.

"She cut me off very early in my warnings, telling me that she would be fine in a dismissive tone…" Rebekah's accented voice quieted as she drifted into the memory, sharing as much of the experience with her brother as he needed to hear.

"_I will survive, Rebekah. After all, don't you know, it's what I do," Caroline doesn't even look up from packing her bag as she shuts down the elder blonde's story. _

"_I don't think you understand what I am telling you, Caroline. If anyone were to discover who you are, who _Hope_ is, they will not be lenient with you just because you are a pretty young girl. There are beasts out there, far more despicable than even my brother has been to you and your friends," she shudders slightly as the memory invades her mind against her wishes. For a moment, she doesn't see the nineteen year old blonde in front of her, but her own visage staring back, covered in healing bruises and cuts, and a dullness in her usually glittering eyes. The men had taken anything they could from the petite blonde, and had broken her in the process. If Nik and Elijah hadn't found her, Rebekah is under no illusions that she would have survived with her mind intact. "My family has enemies that will find your youthful appearance even more appealing a toy for their violence."_

_Caroline looks up at her then, seeing the pain in the older girl's gaze as she mindlessly bounces the tiny bundle in her arms. The pain is a recognizable one; the vampire has seen it in her own eyes, staring out from the mirror. A deep breath steadies her voice enough to stop the girl from reliving her own tortures, "I understand, Rebekah. I…went through something similar. Just a pawn in a story I didn't even know was playing out…" _

_The girls eye each other momentarily, feeling out the waters of trust they have spent the night wading through. Eventually she continues, "When Damon first came to Mystic Falls, back when I was still human and weak minded, I was stupid and thought that if he wanted me then I was worth something, even if no one else did. I got drawn in by the 'other brother' as I said to Elena, because Stefan only cared about Elena, just like everyone in my life. I didn't even know what danger I was in, just that I was covered in bruises and bites that I couldn't explain. But I was fine with it, you know?" Caroline's eyes clear for the first time since she began as she regards Rebekah. "No, I guess you don't. Compulsion…it's suffocating. I remember knowing that I should be terrified, that I should beg my mom or Stefan or _someone_ to help me, but my brain didn't want to? I guess that's the way to put it. No, I wanted to, but I couldn't. I just couldn't make the words come out._

"_The night that I changed, I didn't know what was happening—I had been compelled by Stefan at that point to forget everything that had happened. To forget that vampires existed, that I had been used as a blood bag for one. But then memories started to come back, in bits and pieces. I remembered the night I met Damon, after Stefan had turned me down and I was crying to Bonnie about it. Then there was this…gorgeous guy with eyes for me. And a couple days later I invited him to walk me home, to come in for coffee. I remembered waking up in lingerie I didn't recognize, with blood all over my pillow and my neck and shoulders. I have never been so scared. Not even when I was bit and dying of werewolf venom, either time," the young vampire tries in vain to lighten the mood when she sees the other woman's knuckles turning white as she clenches the blanket that Hope is swaddled in. _

"_I tried to escape the room, but obviously I was no match for Damon. He through me down on the bed and compelled me to be quiet. He told me to lay back…and just take it. Not even to enjoy it, just not to fight…I cried the whole time. I just wanted it to be over. I remember, I didn't want to let him hear me cry and I…I bit down on my lip so hard that I bled. And that made him even more…enthused. He sucked my lip into his mouth—something that should have been erotic and enjoyable, and he sucked the wound dry while he…continued his assault on my body. After he had finished, he laughed at me. And then he told me to get dressed and take him out for coffee…"_

_Caroline stands from where she had sunk down on the bed, turning away from the tears she saw in the other girl's eyes and returning to her near full suitcase. _

"_How…" Rebekah stops and clears her throat, not wanting to fight her tears while she spoke. This information was making her see the blonde who had fought so hard against her brother's affections in an entirely new light. It must have been hell to see someone who identified so closely to her abuser, so intent on bending her to his will. The blonde wanted to smack both men, but knew she would have to settle for berating her brother when she made her way to New Orleans. "How long did he—?"_

"_Weeks," her answer is quiet, but both women have supernatural hearing and she doesn't need to repeat herself. "I think…I think Stefan had an idea. But he didn't know for sure until the Founder's Party over a month later. I slipped up; wore an open knit cardigan to the party, and Elena finally noticed the marks that weren't even hidden on by back and shoulders. She told Stefan and they used me to vervain him. Just in time, too. I had run out of usefulness," she spits the words out, hating her weaker self. "He meant to kill me when he drank that time, but the vervain put him down. Elena found me when I started freaking out, and took me home. Stefan compelled me to forget later that night and they gave me a vervain filled necklace the next day. So when I changed, this all came at me throughout the day and I confronted Damon that night. When he realized what had happened, he tried to stake me…and he's been a daily part of my life since." _

_Her story finished, Caroline zips her bag shut and shoved her arms into the sleeves of a leather jacket before making her way down the hall and out of the house. It takes Rebekah a few minutes longer to absorb all that she has just heard. And a few more to control her tears, deciding that she could ruminate over it all after the girls separate and she gets on the road for the long drive to her family. Joining Caroline at her car, the blonde just turns an understanding gaze her way before ducking to fasten Hope into her seat. In an unforeseen moment of familiarity, the thousand year old teenager leans into a quick hug to the taller blonde. _

"_Thank you, Caroline. For all that you are doing for us. I should have known that you understood the risks. I am sorry for prying, but more sorry that you have such despicable people in your life that this happened to you in the first place." She keeps her tone positive and grateful, knowing that the other girl hadn't opened up like this before. That she likely hadn't meant to do so now, and that she would want to move passed it if she were in the opposite position. _

"_You're welcome. Please, let me know if there's anything else I can do to help. I feel like you are handing me a free pass while you rush off to battle, like I'm not really doing anything," Caroline smiles appreciatively at the Original, knowing that she won't press for more information. She only hopes that she will be able to keep it to herself, knowing at least one violent hybrid who will take it as a personal offense. And, for all the anger Caroline aims at Damon, she doesn't want anything to happen to her friends and they will all get involved if Klaus goes after a member of the group. _

_She turns to get into the car, ready to drive off. She has already decided that she will head to Chicago. Stefan had often spoken of his good memories of the place, Original related and not, and knows that his apartment is the perfect place to start her new life. Before pulling way, she rolls her window down. "You're stronger than you think, Rebekah. I know how broken you feel inside. But look how far you have come, all that you have survived before and since that happened to you. When all of this is over, I hope we can help each other move on from and let go of all of the pain we still carry around." _

_Rebekah is in tears as the small Ford pulls away, wondering how someone can be so genuinely_ good_ after all she has been through. For the first time since arriving in modern Mystic Falls, she understands what Nik sees in the baby vampire._

Klaus is shaking on the couch beside her. Rebekah's vision clears as she comes back to the present, and she sees his face contorting. The pain at the story and the anger at the creature responsible for nearly extinguishing Caroline's light are warring on his stubbled features. Without thinking, the girl reaches out to clasp her brother's hand, drawing his attention out of his own mind.

"She didn't tell you, Nik, not because she didn't trust you," the tears that fill his eyes prove that this was the fear she saw dancing in her brother's gaze. "She certainly didn't tell me because she _does_ trust me. She has simply repressed this memory so deep within herself to survive the life she's been trapped in for the last few years, that she honestly didn't think it was important. You have to know that. Her own friends disregard it all and she has to do the same or she will be trapped in that anger and pain and fear everyday when she has to deal with Damon. But, she doesn't need you to take vengeance right now. She needs you to _bring her home. _Her and Hope, they need to be with us. That is where you need to focus this energy, please. We will deal with him later, after we get them back. I promise, Nik. We will avenge all of it. With Caroline."

The last sentence snaps Klaus out of his emotional spiral. Caroline. She was what mattered, and if she could move passed all of this to do what needed to be done, surely he could do so as well. He scrubs a hand over his face and downs the rest of the scotch in his glass. Feeling more in control of himself, the hybrid is about to address his sister when his phone chimes from the foyer table. Flashing from the room, he lifts the device and opens the notification. It shows a text message from _(123)456-7890._

_Stefan found me, he is in Chicago now. He knows I have Hope, but not who she is. Do what you need to with that._

"Come, sister. We have to track down the _other _Salvatore and do some damage control for our girls."


	11. Alone in the Land of the Living

**Author's Note: **So, my computer doesn't want to update to . It's strange. Anyways, this is a shout out to my hometown and even has a character based off a friend back there. He definitely embodies that town's spirit, in my opinion.

**Disclaimer: **Any recognizable details belong to the creators of TVD/TO; I simply borrow what I can to keep the story as close to canon as possible. I do, however, own my storyline.

Hermosa Beach. What a _tiny_ little town in California. But, it's full of people. And a lot of young families, so there will be less attention on a teenager and her little girl. That's how Caroline settled on it. She and hope landed in the tiny little beach town about a week after running out on Stefan. The blonde feels a tug at her heart when she thinks of her friend and the fact that she hasn't heard from him. That likely means that Klaus or Rebekah took action, the thought of which hurts because she knows that means he's been compelled or threatened.

Her thoughts are disrupted when Hope starts gurgling at tugging at a golden curl. "What, little girl? What do you want?" she smiles at the baby, keeping a hand close to her back while she sits herself up. The girls smile and giggle at each other, enjoying a quiet and lazy morning in the old house that Caroline had compelled herself into nearly a month ago. After an hour or so of playing and talking to the baby in her lap, the baby vampire heaves a tired sigh. She's lonely.

This life is harder than she expected it to be. Hope is a huge bonus, the one thing in life that Caroline was never quite able to accept she would never have—a baby. The thought looses a dry laugh internally, as the baby vampire knew that she had never really thought that she wanted to be a mother before she was turned. Thinking back, motherhood was never the idea; she had just expected to have the picket fence life with the perfect family. A gaze down at the sleeping child on her chest is proof that she hardly has the perfect family for the little girl she is trying _so hard_ not to love as her own.

But the life, outside of this embrace, is harder than Caroline had let herself believe it would be. She has felt alone often throughout the years, especially around Elena and the constant drama since the Salvatores had arrived in their lives. But this was an entirely new type of lonely. They had been in California for over a month now, and the normally involved and vivacious vampire hadn't introduced herself to a single soul. After Chicago, and being found and then having to run, she understands now how dangerous it was to be so involved with others before. She is on the run, they are hiding from people who will kill the innocent baby she clutches to her heart as well as the vampire herself. And she was worried about making friends? Caroline has never felt so foolish, she decides now, so naïve.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, Caroline gets an idea and slowly stands and moves to lay Hope in her play pen to continue her nap. Once the infant is settled, the teen turns and looks around for what she needs. Grabbing the pads of paper, the envelopes and the packet of photos she had printed from Christmas the week before. Focusing on stilling her shaking hands, Caroline settles back onto the couch and draws a leg up in front of her, settling the pad of pink paper against her knee. The pen hovers above the paper nonsensically before she decides what to write.

_Dear Klaus,_

_I know I shouldn't be writing again. I know that it's dangerous, but I need someone to talk to. I…I realized driving out here from Chicago that I'm alone. And it terrifies me. So I hope you are close to getting a handle on things down there. Because I want to be somewhere else, somewhere that I don't have to be alone and where Hope can be surrounded by the people who love her and not just a pathetic baby vampire who is trying not to spiral out of control. _

She almost scribbles that last part out, but she knows that he values her honesty. And that he needs to know how they really are, if they are okay. They may be physically perfect, but Caroline can't help but feel that the psychological welfare of the baby she was charged with was dependent on the blonde herself who didn't know if she could keep it together.

_I'm sorry. I know that that isn't something that you want to hear. But I can't help but be honest here, with you. Because I have no one else that I can talk to about any of this. Just letters I probably won't send to you, or the tiny, perfect little girl you created and can't have with you. And I never want to voice these things to her—that I'm falling apart because of the responsibility and the isolation that I'm taking on by taking care of her. I know it sounds crazy but I swear that she understands a ridiculous amount of what I say, and I don't ever want her to think about any of this. _

_She deserves so much more than that. More than I think I'm equipped to give her. So you need to bring her home and do it yourself, okay? She needs someone to give her the world, and even more than that, she needs her family. _

Caroline decides that this letter is going off of the rails. Her last one was so damn happy, and all about Hope like it should be. She needs to get it back on track, so she takes a moment to flip through the photos she wanted to send. A few moments smiling at the memories is all it takes and she lifts the pen again.

_So, until then, here are some more photos of what you have missed. Again, I hope you share these photos with the rest of your family. They love her too, you know. So don't be selfish. The top picture, obviously, is the tiny Christmas tree we had. There are only about five ornaments on it, but they are all Hope's. One is from Hallmark and is just her name, but the rest are her hand prints, or feet prints, or photos of her. I will save them all for you guys to use next year, of course. _

_The next picture is her face before she opened her first gift. She was so confused, didn't know what to do. It was adorable. I have a video of it too, on my phone. So I will show that to you when we finally see each other. But the paper, I don't know if you can tell, but it has these little glittery snow flakes all over it and she cared _way_ more about trying to grab those than about opening the presents. But I got her a ton of stuff. I think you can see some of them stacked up in the first picture. She got books, toys, and a ton of clothes. Rebekah would be jealous of this girls wardrobe, let me tell you._

_The third and fourth pictures are just more shots of Hope trying out this whole opening gifts thing. And then theirs one of her eating a huge Christmas cookie, snowflakes again. (Are you seeing a theme here? Maybe, reminiscent of a lonely snowflake you once painted? I try to keep you involved, even though you can't be here.)_

She doesn't comment on the fifth photo, staring at is as she runs her fingers over the names on the gifts. She and Hope had spent days held up in the house making plaster casts of the baby's tiny hands and feet to make ornaments and gifts for the Original family. The package for Hayley was bigger, and held a small teddy bear with a voice box that played ten seconds of Hope babbling and giggling in the Build-a-Bear store at the mall. Klaus' box had a video disc that Caroline had had made at some video store on their way out from Chicago. The car had broken down and they spent a few days in Utah with little to do so the blonde had created a project for her friend.

She couldn't imagine the pain that the Original family were feeling, not being able to be here for any of Hope's firsts. They never thought they would have a baby to dote on, and they had had one thousand years to believe that. So, she had made a video. It wasn't anything fancy, just a bunch of shaking camera shots of Hope figuring out some kind of toy or watching the other, bigger kids at the park play or jump. She had video of her first roll over, her first time sitting up and even pulling herself to her feet against the couch. A close up on the baby's mouth shows her first tooth, another her first three teeth. The entire video is only about twelve minutes long, but she wants to get as much documentation for them as she can.

_The rest of the pictures are pretty self-explanatory. We tried to make pumpkin pie, rather unsuccessfully. We watched the New Year's fireworks from a huge armchair in the window of our new house. And we have walked every pathway through this little town we landed in. I think this will be a good place for her to grow for a while. And there is no chance of any of the people from home finding us here._

_On that topic, I need to know that you didn't hurt him. I never should have gone to his apartment. And Stefan didn't mean any harm. So when you win this and bring us home, I need you to be able to tell me that my friend is unharmed, Klaus. He was your friend for a long time, and he is my __**closest**__ friend. So, please, don't hurt him. _

_This letter has lost any sense of order, hasn't it? I don't even know why I am writing it. I just…I miss you. All of you. And home. And I need some kind of connection to something. So here this is. I hope this letter finds you well, and that you are able to take from it the strength for your fights that we are constantly sending to you. _

_Please, be careful. All of this is for nothing if you get yourself killed before you can hold your daughter again. Before you can __bring her__ bring us home._

_Love, _

_Caroline_

The blonde shakes her head while she stuffs the pages and photos into an envelope. She's not sure what she is thinking sending this, what she was even thinking when she wrote it. But she knows that he needs this connection to them, as much as she needs this connection to him and his family. So, with that in mind, she addresses the envelope and stuffs it inside another. On a new sheet of paper, Caroline scratches a note to her mom.

_Mom,_

_Oh, mommy. I miss you so much. And I can't believe that I am crying already. I can't tell you why I left, just that I am okay. I promise. I will be home, but I have no idea when. It's not just me that this is all dependent on, but everything is fine. I just had to get out of town for a while. So I did. But I need a favor. There is another letter in here, and I need you to send it for me. From __**inside**__ Mystic Falls. I can't tell you why, but I need people to think that I am at home if they find that letter. It's the best way to keep me safe, okay? Thank you so much, Mom. I miss you so much and I will call as soon as I can. I promise. Just, please, don't tell anyone that you heard from me? I need some time alone, without everything that happens at home. _

_I love you, Mom. _

_Caroline_

Stuffing the note into the envelope, Caroline seals the paper pocket before she can think herself out of it. She has just put the pages aside when Hope gurgles and she turns her attention to the tiny girl. Before long, the girls are dressed to go out into the California winter and the baby vampire has tucked her ward into the stroller with a thermal blanket and locked the door behind them.

The twenty year old blonde steels her nerves and makes her way onto the sidewalk determined to find some kind of life in this tiny beach town because as much trouble as it may cause her, Caroline is a people person. And as it didn't seem as though the ancient hybrid was going to call them back east any time soon, the girl needed a life. And Hope deserved a childhood. That was really the least the vampire could do for them, she decided, making her way down the street. The letters wind up in the mail box outside the tiny post office and the girls end up at the beach. The sand is cold and damp but there are dozens of people playing on the expanse of beach. A Frisbee crashes against the stroller while Caroline and Hope watch the waves a few feet away and the skittish blonde whirls around violently.

"Sorry about that! My friend has a horrible arm, we didn't mean to scare you," the boy reminds the blonde of Matt, striking her with a homesick pain through her chest while he speaks. She swallows thickly while he reaches a hand out for her to shake, "I'm Zacc."

"Nice to meet you, Zacc. I'm…Rebekah," the name falls clumsily off of her tongue to her own ears, but Caroline doesn't want to use her own name again, not until she feels like herself. _Rebekah_ gives her a sense of strength that she doesn't feel anymore so she opts to fake it for now. Her voice raises an octave when she addresses the joyous bundle in her arms, "And this gorgeous thing is Hope." Hope, to her credit, isn't nearly as welcoming to the man, and turns a furrowed brow that she definitely got from her father on the surfer.

The smile she offers isn't near as flirty as the one she receives, but Caroline vows to form this connection to the land of the living. They need to live, after all.


End file.
